1863: John W. Ross to his wife

The following letter was written by 35 year-old John W. Ross (1826-1880) who served as the red-headed Captain of Co. F, 83rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI). John entered the serve and was commissioned on 29 July 1862 expecting to serve three years but he had to resign his commission on 2 January 1864 on Surgeon’s certificate of disability. John was engineer who later worked for the Delphos Iron Works in Delphos, Van Wert county, Ohio. His wife, Elizabeth (1830-1879) preceded him in death by one year.

The 83rd Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Dennison near Cincinnati, Ohio August through September 1862 and mustered in for three years service under the command of Colonel Frederick William Moore.

A pencil drawing of a Civil War soldier labeled “self portrait of Capt. J Ross.” I wasn’t certain this was the captain of the 83rd Ohio until I noticed the “83 O.” on the tent in the background. According to a web page on Delphos County, Ross was born in 1826 and died in 1880. An 1877 Delphos Herald article told of a Mr. John W. Ross, the general agent and hydraulic engineer for the Delphos Iron Works, who held a patent for the “Delphos Turbine” water wheel which runs on a horizontal shaft. He had recently traveled to a paper mill in Massachusetts to install what was probably the most powerful water wheel in America at that time. Another article told of a German visitor who, after looking at many different turbine water wheels around the country, was most impressed with the Delphos Turbine and ordered several to be shipped back to Germany. Our talented artist was also a very good engineer. The Delphos Iron Works were located on the corner of Water (now 4th) and Franklin Streets in Delphos. Printed in the Delphos Herald, November 12, 2011.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

At Milliken’s Bend, La.
30 miles above Vicksburg
Gen. A. J. Smith’s Headquarters
On Board the Steamer Des Arc
January 3, 1863

Mrs, Elizabeth Ross
Cincinnati, Ohio

Dear Lizzie,

I sit down now to write under different circumstances than last time for when I wrote then (a very few days ago) about the 27th or 28th ulto., I was elated by our brilliant exploits in cutting the “Vicksburg and Shreveport Railroad” and were disembarking at the mouth of the Yazoo Pass with our whole force of near 40,000 men preparatory to attacking the enemy above Vicksburg. All was life and hope and military display!

The next morning after our arrival there before day in the morning, after a rapid night march of seven miles through a swamp, the boom of our cannon was to be heard all along our lines in front of the enemy’s fortifications at Walnut Hills. Oh did not the roar of artillery shake the very earth, while the shell of the enemy came crashing and exploding on our every side.

I was detailed immediately by Col. Moore to take my company to the very front to deploy them as skirmishers [and] to shoot the enemy’s sharpshooters who were picking off our artillery men whenever they attempted to load their cannon. My brave boys did it nobly too. They stood up under the fire and within two hundred yards of the enemy who were entrenched in rifle pits. We silenced their sharpshooters at least.

I must say here that I do not begrudge the cost of my carbine now for I am now able to say without any doubt that I have killed my man; and more than one cursed rebel fell from the fire of that precious little fellow.

We lay in front of the enemy until the 1st inst., and after several times attempting to cross the “Bayou Chickasaw,” we were forced to retire from the overwhelming fire of the enemy batteries and their superior force and advantage of position. And on the night of the 1st of January, our forces were all withdrawn back to our boats and reembarked, and on the 2nd we retraced our steps to Milliken’s Bend where I now write.

In the engagement I lost none of my men and but one was touched by a bullet. Leonidas Latta had his wrist slightly wounded and his gun shot to pieces. None of our regiment were killed that I have heard of. Where we are going to steer now, I am unable to say or what we are going to do is more than I can find out. But I think we will go ashore here somewhere while the boats go up for more troops. In the meantime we perhaps will amuse the enemy as we best can.

It commenced raining last night and it still rains and you know well enough how it can rain down here. One thing is certain—that had we been still in that swamp under this torrent, we would have all perished by drowning.

I often wonder how my dear Lizzie is getting along. Perhaps I think too much about you as it makes me almost homesick. Oh how I would like to see you, my dearest. I hope, however, that the God who protects the shorn lamb and feeds the sparrows will stretch out his hand and guard you, my dearest, from all har,

We are today finishing up our muster roll. We expect to be paid without fail on or before the 10th inst. If we do, I shall forthwith send my money to you by Express to Cincinnati. We have seen hard times here since our arrival and expect to see more, but don’t let that trouble you. I shall continue to do my duty under all circumstances and if my health gives way under it, I shall go home to you, my dearest.

Note. Our boat is under way going somewhere. I have no time to ask. One thing is sure, the boat shakes so that I can scarcely write at all.

January 4th Sunday. Quiet enough for any Sunday. Still at Milliken’s Bend. Still I am undecided as to our destination or purpose but my opinion is that we will retire farther up the river. Gen. Grant with our expected reinforcement is supposed to be defeated or driven back.

We are now drawing 5 days rations for to eat, I suppose. We take it cooly and don’t care what turns up—only that as nearly half of my company are complaining sick this morning, they cannot expect much service out of them. I stop writing by saying farewell at present, my dearest Lizzie. May God bless and protect you. From your loving husband, — John W. Ross

P. S. We are said to be going up the river. — J. W. R. Goodbye dearest.